Southlands Yule
by Finduilas88
Summary: Fili and Kili are living in exile in Minas Tirith. When Yule comes around, Fili, a bit homesick himself, resolves to make it a memorable holiday for his brother. Set in the universe of 'Desperate Measures'.


_A fluffy little holiday one-shot set in the same universe as 'Desperate Measures' It takes place shortly after the events of chapter 3 of that story._

_Hope you enjoy it, and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!_

* * *

><p>Fíli impatiently shoved an errant strand of hair behind his ear before picking up the hammer and bringing it down with a crash on the hot metal bar. <em>By Mahal, it'll soon be Yule and it's still so blasted hot!<em> He and Kíli had only been in Minas Tirith a few months and had yet to accustom themselves to the weather—as well as the numerous other differences between this land and their homes in the north.

The hammer fell again; he was roughing out a simple sword for Lord Ecthelion; it was no great challenge to his craft and consequently his mind wandered as he worked. The Steward's heir was clearly testing his skill and his ability to deliver the promised goods on time with this initial order. Not that Fíli blamed him—the Gondorian was wise to be cautious with an unknown craftsman. Nor was the dwarf ungrateful; they needed the business if he and Kíli were to earn their keep in Gondor.

The blond sighed to himself, Ecthelion's willingness to trust the dwarves' skill was in marked contrast to the other citizens of Minas Tirith. So far, business had been slow and the local residents, thought not precisely unwelcoming, had been very wary of their new neighbors. _It will come in time_, he told himself.

His mind drifted back, as it often did, to the circumstances that had brought them so far from home. Fíli shuddered slightly, recalling the last year in Erebor, prey to King Thorin's gold-induced madness. He would most likely still be there, if Kíli's desperate worry for his brother's health and sanity had not driven him to arrange their secret flight away from their uncle and the Lonely Mountain.

The blond's thoughts came full circle, back to the hot forge he worked in this strange city of men a few weeks before Yule. His slips curled into a smile, recalling the Yule celebrations of his youth in the small but cozy home he and Kíli shared with their mother and uncle in Ered Luin. He was so lost in his memories that he started in alarm when he suddenly became aware that he was no longer alone in the forge. Fíli turned quickly to face the intruder, ready to defend himself if needed.

The tall figure in gray towering over him chuckled warmly, "I do not believe that will be necessary, my friend."

Fíli relaxed at the sound of the familiar voice and looked up to meet Gandalf's gaze, his eyes alight. "Well, what do you expect, sneaking up on someone like that?" he replied, feigning irritation. He chuckled, "But truly it is good to see you again, Gandalf. I had not expected you to return so soon."

"Ah, I have business with Lord Turgon, as well as other matters to attend to," the wizard explained—at least as much as wizards _ever_ explain, in Fíli's experience. "But I'll have you know lad, that I called your name several times before approaching. You seemed…distracted. Are you and Kíli well?"

The dwarf prince nodded, "Well enough. We've settled in here, though the neighbors don't quite know what to make of us yet. The Lord Steward and his son have been very hospitable, however, so I certainly can't complain of our treatment. It's just that things are so…_different_ here. And with Yule coming…"

Gandalf nodded sympathetically, "It is understandable that you would yearn for the familiar at this time of year, especially given all you have been through."

Fíli snorted, "It's not like we have good memories of the Yule feasts we spent in Erebor. Last year does not bear thinking about, and the previous year Kíli and I were still too injured from the battle to rise from our beds. But we were so happy in Ered Luin, I…I wish I could do something; give Kíli something to help him remember that."

"Well, I don't suppose for a moment that he's forgotten, foolish boy!" Gandalf replied sharply, glaring down at Fíli from under his bushy eyebrows. His voice softened, "But if you wish a gift that will remind Kíli of the Yules you spent in Ered Luin, I might be able to help." The wizard gazed off into the distance for a moment, clearly pondering the problem. "I don't suppose fireworks would do the trick?"

Fíli shook his head, "For midsummer they'd be perfect, but not for Yule, I'm afraid."

"Hmm, yes, I quite see your point," Gandalf nodded. "Well, I will be in the city for a few more days, so I'll put my mind to it. I'm sure I can think of something." He patted Fíli's shoulder affectionately, "In the meantime, where is that brother of yours? I'd like to greet him as well."

The blond nodded toward the back of the forge, "In his workroom. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. You should come by for supper as well; you can tell us all the news from the North."

"I would be delighted," Gandalf replied, and went in search of Fíli's dark-haired brother.

-ooo-

So it happened that Gandalf's visit was fortunate, it inspired Fíli with the idea to give Kíli an Ered Luin Yule celebration as his gift. But the blond dwarf found that a resolution to arrange such a thing was far easier than actually accomplishing it. The Gondorian midwinter feast was called Mettarë, and although it had some elements in common with Yule, it was different in many others, and a number of of the items he needed were quite difficult to find.

In the midst of these preparations Gandalf reappeared to add his contribution to the effort; a mysterious stone jar sealed with wax, along with an equally mysterious set of instructions. When Fíli asked, (quite reasonably in his opinion) what the jar was supposed to _do_, the old wizard simply smiled and told the blond to wait and see.

To add to Fíli's anxiety, Kíli had also been acting a bit strangely of late. It was nothing his brother could put a finger on other that a general air of distraction and a few unexplained errands, and perhaps Kíli had been less incessantly chatty than usual. But Fíli could not help but wonder and worry about the cause of the brunet's behavior. For as often as he told himself he was being foolish, Fíli could never forget that _he_ had been the chief target of Thorin's madness, that _he_ was the reason they had to slip away like thieves in the night, that _he_ was responsible for taking his brother away from his home and the people he loved. Was it possible that Kíli was now questioning that choice?

The day before Yule arrived, and when Kíli unexpectedly announced in the afternoon that he had an errand to run Fíli was pleased that it would give him more time to prepare his surprise in secret. He closed the forge, ran up the stairs to their living quarters and set to work. By the time the light began to wane outside, everything was in place; the rooms decorated, the food in the oven. An indifferent cook, the blond was not at all certain that the meal would be up to their mother's standard—the seasonings on the meat didn't seem quite right and the Yule cake looked decidedly crooked, but he hoped Kíli would appreciate it nonetheless.

It was full dark and Fíli's gut was twisting with anxiety by the time he heard his brother's step on the stairs. What errand could have taken so long? He took a deep breath when the door burst open and turned to face his brother.

"Fee, I'm so sorry I'm late," Kíli began. He stopped dead a few feet into the room, a stunned smile on his face. "Mahal, Fee, what have you done?" he breathed. The main room was spotless and decorated with pine boughs, a fire dancing in the grate. "And what is that _smell_?" he demanded.

"You really can't get cedar logs here, but I found a woodshop that would sell me cedar shavings, and I thought that would make the fire smell like it did at home. I…I wanted to remind you of the Yules we spent at home with Mum. I hope you like it," Fíli murmured.

"Like it? I…wait, is that what I think it is?" He dashed into the kitchen and pulled the oven door open and peered in intently. "Maker's tits, it is, I thought I smelled venison! We haven't had that in…" He looked up at his brother, tears starting in his eyes. "I can't believe you did all this, Fee." Two steps and he had the blond in a rough embrace, whispering endearments into his hair, "Thank you, thank you, _âzyungel_, I love it!"

Fíli relaxed in Kíli's arms, feeling truly at peace for the first time in weeks. "I have another gift for you as well, Kee, but why don't we eat before I give it to you?"

"Sounds great!" the younger dwarf grinned. "I have something for you as well. But first _this_ needs to be done" he added, pulling his brother close and kissing him deeply. Kíli sighed when they parted, "I love you so much, Fee."

Dinner was a great success, Fíli's doubts disappearing in the face of Kíli's enthusiasm and hearty appetite. Afterward, when they were finishing their cake cuddled together in the main room, the blond rose and soon returned with a small package in his hands.

"For you, _atamanel_," he smiled. "Happy Yule."

"Oh Fíli," his brother breathed, clutching the packet that his brother had given him. "I…I have something for you, but it's down in the workroom. I'll go get it."

He began to rise but Fíli stopped him. "Why don't you open this first, it's just something small I thought you'd like."

"Sure, Fee." Kíli hefted it in his hand, "It's pretty heavy for something small." When he untied the ribbon and unfolded the cloth he found two dozen beautifully crafted arrowheads of various sizes. Looking closer, he saw that each had a tiny bird in flight inscribed on one side and what seemed to be a lion's head in profile on the other.

"I know I've made you lots of arrowheads before, Kee, but I thought perhaps you'd like some special ones from me." Fíli pointed to the symbols on the one his brother was holding, "The raven is for you, Kee, and the lion for me. You know how Mum always said Da called me his little lion."

The brunet pulled his brother into a close embrace, "I love them, Fee. They're gorgeous, just like you, and I'll think of you every time I look at them. But now I _have_ to get your gift—don't worry, it won't take long."

Kíli clattered down the stairs to his workshop and reappeared a few moments later, a small packet clutched in his hands. "Here Fee," he said as he pressed it into his brother's hands, beaming and breathless from exertion. "I can't wait until you see it!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his heels in excitement. "I could hardly bear to talk to you these last few days, I was so afraid I'd give something away."

The older dwarf took the parcel from Kíli's hand and pulled away the cloth wrapping to find a small book with the words "Yule 2943" in runes on the cover. He opened it to find a series of parchment letters, each in a different hand. The first one made him gasp and his hands tremble—it was unmistakably written by their mother! He leafed through the remaining pages; each one was from a different member of the company, all dated within the last few months.

"Kíli," he stuttered, "where did this come from? How…how did you get this?"

"Fee, you'd better sit down, you look like you're about to faint," Kíli smiled, guiding his brother to a seat. "Gandalf brought it," he explained. "When we first came here with him I asked if there was any way that we might get letters from Erebor without giving away where we are. He said that he'd look into it, and when he came back he brought all the letters! Bard helped, and he added a letter too. Nori and Bofur collected the letters from Mum and the Company and got them to Bard without Thorin being any the wiser. I had it bound," he added a bit shyly, "I didn't want to risk any of the pages being lost. That's why I was a little late; it wasn't ready until this evening."

"Kee, I…I don't know what to say, this is so much more than I ever expected!" He pulled his brother into a hard embrace and whispered, "Thank you so much, Kíli, my _atamanel_." After a moment he released the brunet and said, "I'd love to read them right now, but I don't want to ignore you, love."

"Why don't we read them out loud to each other, Fíli?" Kíli suggested, his forehead resting against the blond's. "I'll have you know that I haven't read them either, and you can imagine how hard it was for me to wait!"

"That sounds perfect, Kee," Fili replied, then his face lit. "I forgot I have another surprise for you." He stood and dragged a surprised Kíli up from his seat, "But you need to be in the bedroom."

"Really?" His brother grinned and waggled his eyebrows, "I like the sound of this already."

"Just sit on the bed, I have to go outside to do…something," Fíli told him and dashed out the door.

"Very well," Kíli replied rather dubiously, unable to imagine what surprise would require his brother to go outside.

Fíli made his way out the back door into the small courtyard behind the forge. He climbed the ladder that he had placed earlier against the back side of the building, fortunately out of sight of the window Kíli was facing on the second floor. There, carefully balanced on the eave of the building, was the stone jar Gandalf had given him at his last visit. Recalling the wizard's instructions, he picked up the jar and shook it vigorously before repositioning it. He took a deep breath, made a brief plea to Mahal that this worked as intended, and broke the wax seal on the jar. With his hands on the mouth of the jar he repeated the words that the wizard had told him to use—he didn't recognize the language, though to his chagrin it sounded faintly Elvish.

At first nothing happened, but then as he watched a few white sparks or flakes began to waft gently into the air above the jar and then floated gently toward the ground. The speed and quantity of the flakes increased until the air around him was filled with them. Curious, he touched one; the substance clearly wasn't snow although it closely resembled it—it was not especially cold, though it disappeared against his skin. He chuckled and shrugged before descending the ladder; in the end it really didn't matter what the flakes were, as long as it reminded Kíli of home. Praying that no inquisitive neighbors were watching he went back inside and ran up the stairs.

Kíli was lying back on the bed, looking bored. "Fee, what _is_ this surprise?" he whined when he saw his brother return. Fíli stood by the window and arched an eyebrow, waiting for brother to notice.

"_Fili_, what…" the brunet eyes widened comically and his mouth dropped open. "How… what… it _can't_ be…"

"No, but it looks like it, doesn't it?" Fíli beamed. "Something Gandalf cooked up; Mahal knows what it is, and I hope it's gone by tomorrow so the neighbors don't see, but…"

"It's perfect, Fee," Kíli breathed, his eyes suspiciously wet. "Come here, you."

Fíli joined him on the bed and confessed softly, "You've been so distant lately I…I was beginning to think that you might regret leaving Erebor—leaving home—for me."

Kíli snorted derisively, "_Âzuyugel_, you are all kinds of wonderful, but you are also a complete idiot. _This_ is my home now; _you_ are my home, as you've always been."

They lie watching the snow drift down, wrapped in each other's arms until sleep takes them.


End file.
